Suspenders.



No. 717,989. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. G. R. HARRIS.

SUSPENDERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, 1901.

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I NIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. HARRIS, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH E. AUSTRIAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,989, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed December l'l, 1901. Serial No. 85,943. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Suspenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in suspenders.

The primary object is to provide a suspender which will automatically adjust or adapt itself to the motions of the body, so that no interference is oifered to the perfect freedom of movement of the wearer, in that way rendering them comfortable at all times and under all'circumstances.

Another object of nearly equal importance resides in the provision for adjusting the suspenders to the size and form of the wearer, thus making them to all intents and purposes universal in their adaptation, while at the same time insuring strength and efficiency.

Minor objects are to provide 'a suspender which will be neat and attractive in appearance, popular in design, and strong and durable, as well as lasting in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View from the rear of my improved form of suspenders, a portion of the box-back being broken away to show the interior. Fig. '2 is a transverse section of the box-back, and Fig. 3 is a sectional View through the adjustingloop, Fig. 4 showing a slight modification of this loop.

The shoulder-straps A A of the suspenders are of the usual construction and are capable of being lengthened or shortened in the customary manner, this constituting no part of mypresent invention.

Proceeding now to the novel features of my present invention, G indicates the box-back, composed, preferably, of a pair of metal disks suitably separated to afford the required clearance for the back-cord. These disks are. connected together at four points equidistant from one another by rounded lugs l 1, made integral with one or both disks or secured in place rigidly, as the case may be. The manner of connecting these disks is unimportant, and I do not wish to be limited in this respect, as only one of several possible constructions is illustrated. The main thing is simplicity, economy, and efficiency in this regard, and further attention must be given in the manufacture to the fact that these lugs must be sufficiently rounded to facilitate the sliding action of the cord upon them and to guard against the ends of the lugs cutting into and abrading the cord as it moves through the box-back.

D denotes an endless extensible back-cord. This is made in one piece, and, as shown in Fig. 1, it is strung around through the boxback against and inside of the four connecting bearing-lugs. The two upper turns 2 2 pass through rigid guides 3 3, depending from the shoulder-straps,wherein they play loosely, and the two lower ends are fastened or joined by metallic clips at l or otherwise, so as to form button-loops 5 5, adapted to button over the rear trousers-buttons, thus rendering the length of the intermediate portion 4 of the cord unadjustable.

Another feature of my invention to which I desire to draw special attention consists in the wedge-shaped adjustingdoop or auxiliary casin g 6, located on clip 4!, through which the free or unattached end 70f the cord is drawn and adjusted and with which it is detachably connected. In this manner the back-cord is shortened or lengthened, as may be required to make the suspenders fit any particular wearer. A single pull upon this end adjusts the length of the two upper turns 2 2 of the cord simultaneously, thus making it a quick and simple operation without altering or shifting the strain, but on'the contrary maintaining it always constant and uniform throughout every change or condition. After having thus shortened or lengthened the cord to the size required the su rplus cord may be cut off and the extreme end bent into theadj usting'loop or auxiliary casing, the tension brought to bear by the wearer upon the shoulder straps A A, which transmit the strain to the upper turns 2 2, of which the unattached end 7 is a connected part, causing it to retain this position with greater tenacity as the strain increases. This is the simplest method of adjustment; but it is obvious that other means of accomplishing the lenthening and shortening of the cord might be employed. For instance, resort might be had to the construction shown in Fig. 4, in which a clamping-lever 8 is pivoted in the loop or auxiliary casing 6 to hold the cord securely after having been adjusted.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the invention affords a wide and adequate range of adjustment in the back, enabling the suspenders to be worn by persons of any build. In short, this suspender can be adjusted to any extent desired, not only avoiding the necessity of running the front buckles high up to be adjust the suspenders, but also allowing the back to be adjusted to fit any individual. A construction of this character and adjustability increases many fold the wearing life of the cords on account of each adjustment of the cord bringing a new wearing-surface through and into contact with the bearing-lugs, these being the only points where cords wear rapidly.

It is needless to say that slight changes might be made in the various parts described without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact constructions herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with the shoulderstraps of a Suspender, and a box-back, of a cord having loose sliding connection with the 

